Automatic ice maker



Jan. 10, 1961 J. 1.. KNIGHT AUTOMATIC ICE MAKER 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 FiledMay 18, 1959 INVENTOR KN I cm :rAMEs H IS ATTORNEY Jan. 10, 1961 FiledMay 18, 1959 J. L. KNIGHT AUTOMATIC ICE MAKER 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 PIC-2.2

INVENTOR JAMES L. KNIGHT H [S ATTORNEY F'IG.4

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AUTOMATIC ICE MAKER Filed May 18, 1959, Ser. No. 813,788

2 Claims. (Cl. 62-351) The present invention relates to an automatic icemaker adapted to be incorporated in a domestic or householdrefrigerator.

A primary object of the invention is to provide a new and improveddomestic or household ice maker in which ice pieces released by theapplication of heat from a mold having an arcuate contour are thereafterautomatically transferred out of the mold for discharge into a storagereceptacle by means of rotatable discs mounted above the mold and havingportions extending into the mold and frozen into contact with the icepieces.

Additional objects and advantages of the invention will become apparentas the following description proceeds and the features of novelty whichcharacterize the invention will be pointed out with particularity in theclaims annexed to and forming part of this specification.

In accordance with the present invention there is provided an ice makercomprising an ice mold having fixed transverse partitions dividing themold into a plurality of adjacent compartments in which water is frozeninto ice pieces and heating means for warming the mold to loosen the icepieces from the walls defining the compartments. The mold is of arcuatecontour so that each of the compartments formed by the partitions are ofthe same semi-circular shape transversely of the mold. In order toremove the ice pieces from the mold, there is provided a transfermechanism comprising a shaft extending longitudinally above the mold onwhich are mounted a plurality of circular discs having peripheral edgeportions extending into the compartments short of the armate wallsdefining the compartments. Ice pieces formed in the individualcompartments are frozen into engagement with the discs contained thereinso that upon rotation of the shaft and the discs mounted thereon, theindividual ice pieces are carried by the discs out of the mold and intoengagement with bumpers or fingers positioned above the mold and in thepath of the transferred ice pieces, engagment of the ice pieces by thesebumpers and fingers serving to release the ice pieces from the revolvingdiscs for discharge into a suitable receptacle.

Preferably, these discs, particularly their peripheral edge portions,are composed of a plastic or rubber-like material to which the icepieces will readily adhere but from which they can be peeled by theapplication of mechanical pressure.

These and additional features of the present invention will now be morefully described with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

Fig. l is a side elevational view, partly in section, of the ice makerof the present invention;

Fig. 2 is a top view of the ice maker shown in Fig. 1',

Fig. 3 is a vertical sectional view of a portion of the ice maker takenalong line 3-3 of Fig. 2; and

Fig. 4 is a wiring diagram for an electrical control system which can beemployed for the automatic operation of the ice maker of the presentinvention.

As shown in .Fig. 1 of the accompanying drawing, the

States Patent 2,967,408 Patented Jan. 10, 1961 illustrated embodiment ofthe ice maker of the present invention is designed to be suspended fromthe top wall 1 of the low temperature or freezing compartment 2 of ahousehold refrigerator. The contents of the compartment 2 including theice maker are maintained at temperatures below freezing by aircirculated through the compartment from a low temperature evaporator(not shown) so that the ice maker can be mounted in the compartmentindependently of any evaporator unit. Also positioned within thecompartment and below the ice maker is a receptacle or bin 3 in whichice pieces 4 discharged from the ice maker are stored at temperaturesbelow freezing.

The ice maker includes an ice mold 5 in the form of an elongated orgenerally rectangular structure preferably composed of a metal such asaluminum. The interior of the mold has a generally arcuate contour intransverse cross-section as illustrated in Fig. 3 of the drawing and isdivided into a plurality of compartments 8 by transverse dividers orpartitions 6 which are formed integrally with the mold. In order thatwater may flow from one compartment to the other during filling of themold, each of the transverse dividers 6 is provided with a slot 7adjacent one end thereof extending below the normal water level in themold.

For the purpose of warming the mold to release ice pieces formed in thecompartments 8 from the mold and divider surfaces, there is provided anelectric heating element 9 in the form of a loop extending alongthesides 10 and 11 of the mold and along the one end wall 14. Uponenergization of this heating element, the mold, including its partitions6, becomes sufficiently warm to melt the bond between the mold surfacesand the ice pieces so that the ice pieces can be removed from thecompartments.

-In accordance with the present invention, means for removing thereleased ice pieces are provided in the form of discs 15 secured to ashaft 16 extending longitudinally along the mold at or below the centerof curvature of the arcuate surface forming the interior of the mold.One disc 15 is provided for each of the compartments 8 and asillustrated in Fig. 3 of the drawing, each of the discs extends into itscompartment so that a portion of the peripheral edge thereof is belowthe normal water level or in other words in a position to be frozen intothe ice pieces 4. With the ice pieces 4 frozen into engagement with aportion of the disc 15, it will be seen that rotation of the discs willsweep the ice pieces in a circular path 4 upwardly and out of the mold.

Preferably the discs are formed of an organic material such as a plasticor rubber-like material both for the purpose of obtaining good adhesionof the ice to the surface of the discs and also for the purpose offacilitating mechanical release of the pieces from the discs duringrotation thereof.

For the purpose of mechanically breaking the bond between the individualice pleces 4 and the rotating discs 15, after the ice pieces havereached an inverted position above the mold, there is provided a seriesof bumpers 18 overlying the partitions 5 and of a sufficient width sothat the bumpers 18 will contact the edges of the ice pieces after theyare removed from the mold by the rotating discs. As is shown moreclearly in Fig. 3 of the drawing each of these bumpers 18, which aresupported on the side walls of the mold 5, has a curved ice contactingsurface 19 extending over the adjacent mold compartments and terminatingabove the shaft 16 so that an ice piece engages the bumper only afterthe disc has rotated the ice piece somewhat over to a point at which theice piece is traveling downwardly at the time it engages the bumper forrelease and discharge into the bin 3 provided below the mold. In otherwords each of the ice pieces has rotated about the shaft past theinverted position before contact with a bumper so that as it rides ontothe bumper, it is mechanically lifted from the disc in a radialdirection and slides downwardly over the bumper into the receptacle 3.

In order to definitely assure transfer of the ice pieces 4 from the moldby the rotating discs, the peripheral edges of the discs are preferablyprovided with spaced serrations or notches 21 as illustrated in Fig. 3which serve to lock the ice pieces to the peripheral edges of the discsduring the freezing cycle thereby positively preventing rotation of thediscs 15 relative to the ice pieces 4. Since the releasing pressureapplied to the ice pieces by the bumpers 13 include a force componentextending radially of the disc 15, these slots 21 do not interfere withthe mechanical peeling of the ice pieces from the discs.

The invention claimed in this application relates broadly to an icemaker comprising the above-described ice harvesting arrangement whereinrotatable discs extending to a mold of arcuate contour are employed totransfer the heat released ice pieces from the mold into engagement withbumper means for separating the pieces from the discs. In addition tomeans for rotating the shaft 16 and energizing the heater 9, theautomatic operation of the ice maker requires additional components andcontrols such as those which will now be described. These components andcontrols, apart from the combination with the ice harvesting arrangementclaimed herein, are not part of the present invention but are morecompletely disclosed and are claimed in the copending application ofHarold P. Harle, Stephen Balogh and Henry I. Loewenthal, Serial No.813,790, filed concurrently herewith and assigned to the same assigneeas the present invention.

The illustrated control and power mechanism for the operation of the icemaker is generally housed within a housing 25 secured to one end of themold 5. The power mechanism includes a motor 26 diagrammaticallyillustrated in Fig. 4 of the drawing, the motor and a suitable speedreducing gear train forming a drive mechanism 27 generally shown inbroken lines in Figs. 1 and 2 of the drawing. The shaft 16 is rotatablymounted in bearings adjacent the mold end wall 14 and in the front wall29 of the housing 25.

Water supply means for the mold includes a supply line 34 connectedthrough a solenoid valve 31 to a suitable source of water supply. Whenthe solenoid valve 31 is opened, water from the supply line 30 flowsinto a filler tube 32 having its lower or discharge end disposedadjacent one end wall of the mold. The charge of water thus introducedinto the mold flows from compartment to compartment through the slots orgrooves 7.

in order to initiate the ice harvesting cycle when the water charge inthe mold has frozen into ice, there is employed a control circuitincluding a temperature responsive switch 35 extending through a moldwall as indicated in Fig. 2 to sense freezing temperatures within one ofthe compartments 8. Preferably this temperature sensing switch 35 islocated near the filler spout 32 so that it will be warmed by each newcharge of water for reset purposes.

For the purpose of stopping operation of the ice maker when thereceptacle 3 is full of ice, there is provided a switch 36 actuated by afeeler arm 37 pivotally mounted along the side 11 of the mold. Normally,this feeler arm hangs downwardly into the receptacle 3 in a position inwhich it will contact the ice when the receptacle 3 is approximatelyfull of ice. In order that the arm will measure the stored ice aftereach additional charge of ice is delivered to the receptacle, means areprovided for raising the feeler arm out of the receptacle during eachice harvesting cycle so that when it returns to its normal positionwithin the receptacle, it will rest on top of the added amount of ice ifthe receptacle is full of ice. In order to raise the feeler arm 37during each barvesting cycle, the arm is provided with an actuating arm38 within the housing 25 which rides on a cam member 39 carried by theshaft 16. During each rotation of the shaft 16, the cam is arranged toraise the feeler arm 37 out of the receptacle during the first part ofthe cycle and return it to the receptacle after a new batch of icepieces has been discharged into the receptacle. The actuating arm 38 isalso arranged to open the normally closed switch 36 when the feeler armis in the elevated position and to close this switch when the armreturns to its normal position within the receptacle. Switch 36 isconnected into a control circuit in such a manner that if the feeler armis prevented from returning to its normal position by the accumulationof ice in the receptacle, the ice making cycle is interrupted.

Additional switch means and control circuitry for the automaticoperation of the ice maker will be described in the followingdescription of the ice maker operation and with particular reference toFig. 4 of the drawing.

During freezing of a charge of water in the mold 5, the temperaturesensed by the thermal switch 35 gradually decreases. After all of thewater in the mold has become frozen, the switch 35 is designed so thatits switch arm 40 moves into contact with a cold contact 41, asillustrated in Fig. 4 of the drawing. Closing of the switch contact 41completes a circuit between supply conductors 42 and 43 to energize themotor 26 and the mold heater 9. This circuit includes the normallyclosed feeler arm switch 35 and the normally closed switch 44constituting one of three switches operated by the motor driven cam 45.After a few degrees of motor rotation, the cam 45 closes a cam operatedholding switch 46 to establish a first heater holding circuit forenergizing the heater and a first motor holding circuit which includescam operated switch 44. Both of these circuits bypass the feeler armswitch 36 and the control switch 35. The switch 46 remains closedregardless of the operation of the feeler arm or the control switchuntil the end of the cycle or in other words through approximately onecomplete revolution of the shaft 16 and cam 45.

Since the discs 15 are frozen solidly into the ice pieces formed in themold compartments, the drive motor stalls until sufiicient heat has beenapplied by the heater 9 to melt the bond between the ice pieces and themold walls. At this point, the motor again rotates so that the icepieces adhering to the discs move in a counterclockwise direction asviewed in Fig. 3 to a point where these pieces engage the bumpers 18.Further rotation of the shaft 16 causes the ice pieces to be peeled orlifted from the discs so that they can drop into the storage container3.

After removal of the ice pieces 4 from the mold, continued energizationof the heater 9 causes the temperature of the mold to increase therebyincreasing the temperature sensed by the switch 35. The switch arm 40moves to its warmer position to engage the warm contact 49. When thisoccurs, a second holding circuit for energizing only the motor iscompleted through the closed holding switch 46 and the warm contact 49of switch 35. Unless this motor circuit through the contact 49 isestablished before further rotation of the switch cam 45 opens theswitch 44 to break the first circuit to the motor, further rotation ofthe motor will be prevented until such action does take place.

After opening of switch 44, further rotation of the switch cam 45 thencloses the switch contacts 50 to energize the solenoid valve 31 for apredetermined time so that a measure charge of water will be introducedinto the mold through the spout 32. Thereafter and during the final fewdegrees of rotation of the motor and switch cam 45, the switches 44, 46and 50 are returned to their normal or starting positions and reset fora subsequent ice harvesting cycle, the opening of the switch 46deenergizing the mold heater 9 and also breaking the circuit incudingthe switch contact 49 to de-energize the motor 26.

Unless the receptacle 3 is filled with ice, the feeler arm 37 will alsoreturn to its normal position within the receptacle thereby closing thefeeler arm switch 36 so that when the switch arm 40 again moves intoengagement with the cold contact 41 of switch 35 another ice harvestingcycle is initiated. If on the other hand, the ice receptacle is full ofice, the feeler arm will be held in raised position by the accumulatedice pieces and switch 36 will remain open. With switch 36 held open themotor and heater cannot again be energized to start a subsequentharvesting operation regardless of the position of switch 35.

While there has been shown and described a particular embodiment of thepresent invention it will be obvious to those skilled in the art thatvarious changes and modifications may be made therein without departingfrom the invention, and it is therefore intended by the appended claimsto cover all such changes and modifications as fall within the truespirit and scope of the invention.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the UnitedStates is:

1. An elongated ice mold having a transverse arcuate contour andincluding a plurality of transverse dividers dividing said mold into aplurality of compartments in which a charge of water is frozen into icepieces, a shaft rotatably supported above said mold and extendinglongitudinally thereof, discs mounted on said shaft and havingperipheral edge portions immersed in the charge of water in saidcompartments whereby ice pieces formed in said compartments freeze intoengagement with said disc, means for warming said mold to release theice pieces therefrom, means for rotating said shaft and discs to removesaid ice pieces from said compartment, and means comprising a pluralityof fingers extending above said shaft in the path of said ice pieces forreleasing said ice pieces from said discs during rotation thereof.

2. An elongated ice mold having a transverse arcuate contour andincluding a plurality of transverse dividers dividing said mold into aplurality of compartments in which a charge of water is frozen into icepieces, a shaft rotatably supported above said mold and extendinglongitudinally thereof, discs mounted on said shaft and havingperipheral edge portions immersed in the charge of water in saidcompartments whereby ice pieces formed in said compartments freeze intoengagement with said discs,

means for warming said mold to release the ice pieces therefrom meansfor rotating said shaft and discs to remove said ice pieces from saidcompartments, and means contacting said ice pieces after rotationthereof passed an inverted position above said mold for removing saidice pieces from said discs and discharging said pieces outside saidmold.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS

